The edge of the network continues to be the epicentre of innovation in
the data centre space as the calendar turns to 2019, with activity
focusing on increased intelligence designed to simplify operations, enable
remote management and service, and bridge a widening skills gap. This
increasing sophistication of the edge is among the data centre trends to
watch in 2019 as identified by Vertiv experts from around the globe.

“Today’s edge plays a critical role in data centre and network
operation and in the delivery of important consumer services,” said
Vertiv CEO Rob Johnson. “This is a dramatic and fundamental change to
the way we think about computing and data management. It should come as
no surprise that activity in the data centre space in 2019 will be
focused squarely on innovation at the edge.”

1. Simplifying the Edge: A smarter, simpler, more self-sufficient
edge of the network is converging with broader industry and consumer
trends, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and the looming rollout
of 5G networks, to drive powerful, low-latency computing closer to the
end-user.

For many businesses, the edge has become the most mission critical
part of their digital ecosystem. Intelligent infrastructure systems with
machine learning capabilities working in tandem with cloud-based
analytics are fundamentally changing the way we think about edge
computing and edge services. The result will be a more robust, efficient
edge of the network with enhanced visibility and self-healing
capabilities requiring limited active management.

2. Workforce Revolution: A workforce aging into retirement and
training programs lagging behind the data centre and edge evolution are
creating staffing challenges for data centres around the globe. This
will trigger parallel actions in 2019. First, organisations will begin
to change the way they hire data centre personnel, moving away from
traditional training programs toward more agile, job-specific
instruction with an eye toward the edge. More training will happen
in-house. And second, businesses will turn to intelligent systems and
machine learning to simplify operations, preserve institutional
knowledge, and enable more predictive and efficient service and
maintenance.

“In this fast-paced sector very much predicated on the new, it is
evident that a shortage of talent with specific skill sets is one of the
imminent challenges we face as an industry,” said Giordano Albertazzi,
president for Vertiv in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Intelligent
infrastructure management systems will help meet that shortfall, but
there also needs to be an orchestrated effort by the private and public
sectors to develop the breadth of skills required to address the
disruptive changes ahead.”

3. Smarter, More Efficient UPS Systems: New battery alternatives will
present opportunities for the broad adoption of UPS systems capable of
more elegant interactions with the grid. In the short term, this will
manifest in load management and peak shaving features. Eventually, we
will see organisations using some of the stored energy in their UPS
systems to help the utility operate the electric grid. The static
storage of all of that energy has long been seen as a revenue-generator
waiting to happen. We are moving closer to mainstream applications.

4. Pursuing Normalisation: The data centre, even in the age of
modular and prefabricated design, remains far too complex to expect
full-fledged standardisation of equipment. However, there is interest on
two fronts: standardisation of equipment components and normalisation
across data centre builds. The latter is manifesting in the use of
consistent architectures and equipment types, with regional differences,
to keep systems simple and costs down. In both cases, the goal is to
reduce equipment costs, shorten delivery and deployment timelines, and
simplify service and maintenance.

5. High-Power Processors and Advanced Cooling: As processor utilisation rates increase to run advanced applications such as facial
recognition or advanced data analytics, high-power processors create a
need for innovative approaches to thermal management. Direct liquid
cooling at the chip – meaning the processor or other components are
partially or fully immersed in a liquid for heat dissipation – is
becoming a viable solution. Although most commonly used in
high-performance computing configurations, the benefits – including
better server performance, improved efficacy in high densities, and
reduced cooling costs – justify additional consideration. Another area
of innovation in thermal management is extreme water-free cooling, which
is an increasingly popular alternative to traditional chilled water.

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